I'll Kiss Away Your Demons
by ModestErgi
Summary: It takes a man who has had his own demons to fully understand Dean Ambrose. After Jericho's podcast, Dean is quickly realizing that that man is Jeff Hardy. With everyone against them, they'll turn to each other to hide from their darkness and find light in one another. Dean/Jeff, Roman/Seth, Matt/Reby, etc.
1. 1

**Quick notes:**

 **Matt is married to Reby Sky and their son is Maxel.**

 **Jeff is NOT married nor does he have children.**

 **Dean is NOT married. He is also LITERALLY unstable.**

 **Rolleigns is canon.**

 **Eki=Umaga.**

 _Enjoy._

 _Title: I'll Kiss Away Your Demons_

 _Pairing: Main=Hardbrose with appearances by SkyHard (Matt/Reby), Rolleigns, and a past mention of Jedam._

 _Rating: NC-17_

 _I'm also not sure at what time the podcast took place but I'm going to set it at sometime early noon._

 _ **Chapter 1: When Ambrose met Hardy**_

 _-Kansas City; in an obscure little room…-_

"They're all waiting for you to fuck up."

Dean startled, his phone slipping from his hands. After a small fumble, where it bounced on his thigh before he was able to slap it in between both palms, he looked up at his company, confused. "What?"

The man at his left grinned slowly, almost lazily. He stretched, his arms reaching behind him before he laced his fingers and rested his head against the small cradle. "Everyone you've ever heard compare the two of us. They're waiting for you to fuck up."

Dean put his phone away, eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't sure how to respond to this man. He had heard the stories, of course. The comparison of how they were both so quiet but quick to shoot if prodded, how they were both unique in ways others found strange, even how they both seemed kind of…crazy.

Dean opened his mouth to reply but found his throat drying when the other man locked him in a dead stare. Those eyes...what Roman had told him about his eyes was true…

" _That's a cool idea for a podcast," Roman grinned up at the waitress, placing his order and ignoring the way that Seth was frowning at him. "Don't start with me, skunk-stripe! If I want to have some fat in my diet, ain't nothing you can do to stop me."_

 _Dean smirked, his lips hidden behind his coffee mug as the smallest member of their trio glared at the Samoan. "Leave him alone, Rolly, the big man's gotta eat."_

 _Seth huffed, picking up his fork and spearing a piece of fruit. "Fine, you're dealing with him later if he starts his bitching about his indigestion again."_

 _Dean rolled his eyes before looking back to Roman. "Yeah, Chris is pretty hyped about it. He's really excited that they are back, said that they've been close friends for over a decade now."_

 _Seth nibbled on his cantaloupe, "A lot of people are thrilled that they're back. I heard that they're super easy to get along with."_

 _Roman's eyes lit up when the waitress set his plate down in front of him and after thanking her, immediately grabbed onto a piece of bacon. Probably just to bother Seth. "Eki would be ecstatic."_

 _Dean, with a mouth full of coffee, hummed before swallowing. "That's right…he was pretty tight with the younger brother before his passing, huh?"_

" _He liked the both of them but the younger one…Eki would even call him_ _ **Uce**_ _and for him to do that with people who aren't family was rare." Roman smiled fondly at the memory of his cousin, the Samoan bull-dozer._

" _Eki always told me that Jeff's got the most honest eyes in the business," he continued softly, "I guess he would have to, with all that he's been through."_

"Are you all right?"

The question brought Dean back to the present. That's right. He was sitting in the impromptu podcast room with _him_. They were waiting for Chris to come back from the bathroom. He had eaten breakfast with his Shield brothers earlier that morning and now he was sitting right across from the man that everyone in the business had been comparing him to lately…

And he had lost himself in the honest eyes of Jeff Hardy.

"Uh, yeah," Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm good." He licked his lips and watched as Jeff rolled a half-empty bottle of water around on the table separating them. "I don't really know how to respond though."

Jeff smiled again, only this time it seemed a bit sad. "You'll find out what I mean eventually." He looked as though he wanted to say more, but dropped the subject as the door opened and Chris walked in, wide grin in place.

"Okay, here we go!" Chris announced, clapping his hands together excitedly before he adjusted the microphone and sat at the head of the table. "When Ambrose met Hardy! This is going to be great." He looked to Jeff for confirmation.

"It sure is," Jeff said, turning back to Dean. He smiled again, this third smile was soft and sincere, and Dean found himself trying to remember how to work his facial muscles into his usual grin.

"Yeah," was all he was able to muster but he finally managed to throw a disarming smile at Chris as the man began to play with his soundboard. Inhaling quietly, he closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them when Chris began the introduction to his show.

* * *

"That was awesome," Chris grinned as he led them out of the room. "The fans will go crazy once they find out. Thanks a lot for doing this you guys; I know you both must be so busy."

"It's all good, man," Jeff grinned, his hand coming up to fiddle with the bright red bandana wrapped around his dark purple hair. "I had a really great time."

Dean forced his eyes away from the tattooed fingers playing with the bandana and nodded to Chris, "Yeah, that was interesting. Started off pretty slow, thanks to me, but you weren't wrong. Once you got us going, we were totally fine."

"I knew it would pick up once we started talking about the spooks," Chris laughed, "I'll send ya any other Bigfoot footage I find. You keep on the lookout for those aliens for me, Ambrose."

"You know it," Dean grinned, shaking hands with the veteran. He turned back to Jeff, who was now shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "So, Jeff, it was really nice to talk to you. I'm…I'm sorry again about your dog."

Jeff shook his head, "It's fine, Dean. Was a long time ago and I've healed from it." He chuckled, "I'm sorry about Mitch."

Dean laughed as Chris rolled his eyes. "Long live the potted plant," he raised his water bottle up in a toast, snickering as Jeff mimicked his action.

"Stupid Mitch," Chris shook his head, "Anyway, guys, hope you have a safe trip to the next location. I'll hopefully see you guys soon."

"Have fun on tour but come back, you hear me? Don't you leave me all alone in this business," Jeff said, grinning at his old friend.

"Well, you two are friends now! You'll never even notice I'm gone," and with a wink and a final handshake from the two, Chris was walking back into his podcast room, leaving the two new friends standing awkwardly in the hallway.

"So," Dean cleared his throat, "you riding with Matt to the next location?"

"Most likely," Jeff nodded. "Unless he wants to go home to Cameron to see his wife and son for a few days, then I'll just ride on my own." After a moment of silence, he continued, "You're riding with your boys, I'm guessing?"

Dean nodded, "They're actually probably at the hotel packing now."

"I won't keep you," Jeff smiled, turning slightly and Dean could feel himself panic for reasons he couldn't even being to understand.

"Uh, you want to maybe go find a ghost or something?" At the confused look in those _fucking gorgeous_ green eyes, he continued, "I don't actually think the guys are packing. Well, something is getting packed but it ain't a bag. I don't really want to risk burning my retinas at seeing my best friends going at it."

Jeff laughed, shaking his head. "I didn't know they were actually a couple," he sighed softly, "that's nice. Having someone you love on the road with you is always…very nice." For a brief moment, his smile fell and he looked a bit melancholy but then his grin returned full force. "Ok, Ambrose. Let's go find us an apparition!" he reached out, grabbing wrist and began to lead him down the hall.

This was it, this was their first time touching.

Dean stared at that pale hand, drenched in ink and nail-polish, wrapped around his wrist. His eyes slowly traveled up the hooded arm until he was staring at deep purple strands held up in that low and messy bun.

It happened too quickly. He was _not_ the kind of person who let himself be touched, much less _pulled_ , so soon. And yet, here was Jeff Hardy doing just that. _Charismatic Enigma_ Jeff Hardy… is leading the _Unstable_ Dean Ambrose down the hall to find a ghost.

"Hey, Jeff?"

Hardy turned, gazing at him curiously.

"Aren't you…aren't you afraid?" Dean swallowed thickly.

"Afraid?" Jeff echoed, stopping in his tracks and slowly uncurling his fingers from around Dean's wrist. He stared thoughtfully at him and Dean could feel the monster in his chest purring as Jeff's lips curled into another one of his quirky grins, "What should I be afraid of, Dean?"

Dean scowled, rubbing his wrist where Jeff's touch still lingered, "Come on," he exhaled deeply, "I know you've heard. If they're all talking to you about me…I'm sure they've told you about…" he trailed off, seeing the sudden shift in those eyes.

"About how fucked up you are?" Jeff's fingers went up to his head and he tapped his own temple, "up here?" he took a bold step forward, almost eye to eye with the other man, "That you're unstable?"

Dean didn't back down. He straightened his posture, using the measly two inches he had as leverage over the older man and glaring. "I can control it," he muttered, "I can keep myself together. I'm not just going to maul you-"

Jeff's laugh, his damn little _giggle_ , had Dean nearly biting his tongue mid-sentence.

"I'm not afraid of you, Dean." His eyes were bright. Honest. "Would I have offered to wander off alone with you if I were scared?" Jeff shook his head, "I don't care what they've told me. I've never been one to heed warnings. And now that you know I'm not afraid of you, I'm going to need the same confirmation from you."

Dean blinked. "Huh?" was his eloquent response.

"I've snapped plenty of times, let those demons come out and torture me." Jeff tilted his head, "Matt's seen it. Chris has seen it. Hell, the entire world saw it at one point," he sighed heavily, "but I'm fine now, have been for nearly six years." He paused, leaning against the wall behind him. "So..?"

"So," Dean parroted, still unsure of whatever the fuck was going on, "We're…we are good? We're friends?"

Jeff nodded firmly, "We're friends." And then beamed, once again grabbing Dean's wrist and hauling him down the hall, "We need to go to the basement! That's where I would haunt if I were a ghost."

Dean smiled, letting himself be dragged and actually not minding it. At all.

* * *

Dean let himself into the room, eyebrow rising at the sight of Roman lying on the bed closest to the wall. The big man was moaning pitifully, holding onto his stomach with his gray eyes shut tightly. "What's up, brother?"

Roman could only shake his head, a whimper escaping his throat. From the bathroom, Dean could hear muttered curses and, curiosity piqued; he stepped over to look in and nearly retched, backing away from the bathroom quickly.

"Shit," Dean muttered, eyes teary as he fought off the urge to vomit. He snickered, watching Seth come out of the area, soiled towels pinched in his fingers, "Did he throw up his entire breakfast?"

"Last night's dinner too," Seth growled, grabbing another towel from the closet after chucking the dirtied ones into a bin, "Damn it, I told you this would happen! Your body isn't used to such heavy foods anymore, Ro!" he turned, pointing a finger at Dean, "and you! You're the one who is supposed to be cleaning up this mess but of course you've been gone for hours."

"Podcast run late?" Roman asked, his voice weak. He stared at Seth with dewy eyes, "Can I have some water, please?"

Dean shook his head, "Hung out with Jeff after." He plopped down onto his own bed, resting his head on his arms. "We went ghost hunting and grabbed a light lunch."

Seth, on his way to deliver Roman a glass of water, paused. Ignoring the Samoan's whines, he stared at Dean in surprise. "What?"

Dean shrugged, "He's a cool guy," he stared at the ceiling. The very fresh memory of Jeff's vibrant eyes, the way he sometimes lifting a hand up to cover his lips while he chewed on his food, the endearing little laugh as stories were shared, "He's as laid back and interesting as everyone says he is."

Seth hummed, finally handed Roman the glass before sitting down on the bed they shared. "So you enjoyed yourself?"

Dean nodded slowly, mind still on Jeff, "Yeah. Yeah, I did." He turned to stare at Roman as the big man forced himself to sit up with a tortured groan.

"That's where you've been for the past four hours?" Roman draped himself over Seth's lap, the smaller man grunting as he bore the dead weight, "Coddle me, I'm sick."

"Idiot," Seth murmured fondly, brushing back the dark curls.

"Yeah, so what?" Dean frowned.

"We're just surprised, man," Roman smirked, "It's not like you to deal with anyone but us for more than an hour at best. I'm glad you like him."

Dean felt his cheeks color. "He's…interesting," he repeated. "He understands what it's like to be…different."

His brothers shared a quick, alarmed look.

"Don't start," Dean warned, his chest monster beginning its low snarl, "I kept myself together, didn't feel upset at all when I was with him." He turned onto his left side, facing the window.

"Come on, we didn't mean it like that and you know it." Seth said softly. "We just want to make sure that you're safe."

"I am." Dean muttered, burying his face in his pillow. "I'm going to sleep now so if you're going to fuck, keep it down."

"I'm waking you up in an hour," Seth warned, "We need to get in at least 45 mins of cardio before packing to go to the next location."

"Fine." Dean let his eyes close.

And the very first thing he saw after the darkness settled in was Jeff and his fucking eyes.

* * *

 **Keep an open mind, yeah?**

 **And yes, btw, they are going to have some BRU-TAL sex. I've never written a sex scene before but I've read a LOT of them so I think I can handle it. I think.**

 **Anyway, ignore any OOCness. I'm trying to really focus more on how they sounded during the podcast.**

 **So yeah. Questions? Comments? Concerns?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in this story or in the world for that matter.**

 **Quick notes: Thanks for the reviews/favs/alerts, etc. I'm glad you all like the story!**

 **Debwood-1999: Thank you for the alerts! I'm glad you like the idea.**

 **AmazingColorStarfish: The pairing is indeed new. I just felt such a connection between them during that podcast. Thank you for the review!**

 **SparksFlyOut: I'm glad you like it! And yes, I have been the same. I kept watching mostly for The Shield and some older favorites (Jericho, R-Truth, Cena, Undertaker, Kane, D-Bry, etc) but I didn't become FULLY invested until the Hardy'z returned. Thank you for the review! Enjoy the podcast!**

 **JNHwwe: I feel like there is a really good promise for this couple. They just seem to balance each other out. Thank you for the review!**

 **1997: Glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Bothersome Brothers**

Coming back home was always nice.

Matt had convinced him to come along and Jeff was glad that he had. It wasn't that Jef disliked going home, he loved it. It was just that it made it so much harder to _leave_ home and go back on the road.

They'd spent a couple of days with their father, taking him into town and hosting family gatherings. He'd mowed his lawn again, etching new designs over the old ones. His animals were being taken care of by Reby and her father the days he would be away, but they had all been excited to see him.

Now, being only a night away from their second WWE pay-per-view in years, Jeff was quickly losing his patience while helping his older brother with his hair.

"Would you fucking hold still?" Jeff grabbed a fist-full of his brother's dark hair, rolling his eyes when Matt hissed in pain. "Keep your head up, Matt. I can't see the pattern when you're looking down at your damn phone."

"And that's invitation for you to abuse me?" Matt grumbled, staring at his brother in the mirror's reflection. "I'm sorry. Reby is asking me for a banana."

Jeff chuckled, dipping the brush over Matt's brilliant streak, "I'm almost done anyway. You need to leave it in for about 15 minutes and then go rinse off. Don't use shampoo, just condition." He set down the brush and pulled off his gloves, tossing them into the trashcan.

"Thanks, man," Matt stood, rushing to the kitchen to grab his pregnant wife the yellow fruit. "Do you mind watching Maxel?" he called back after he had disappeared and Jeff looked down at his nephew.

The adorable baby Hardy was currently playing with a stuffed animal. He lifted it high in the air and then dropped it. After dancing around in a circle, he jumped and landed with his legs hitting the toy in the face.

"Nice leg drop," Jeff grinned, kneeling down on the ground. He slapped his palm against the tiled floor, "One…two…three!" he scooped a giggling Maxel up, "here is your winner, Maxel Hardy!"

Maxel wailed excitedly, grabbing onto Jeff's cheeks. "Tio!" he announced clearly, his curious eyes wandering to Jeff's hair, wrapped in a teal colored band. He reached for the band, tugging it off and freeing his uncle's purple/midnight colored strands.

Jeff smiled softly, kissing the little boy's cheek. He set him down, watching the toddler amble away with his headband. He glanced at himself in the mirror, brushing the hair out of his face before he followed after his nephew. Along the way, he noticed his brother coming back downstairs. "How is she?"

"She's feeling kind of tired. I don't think she will be moving around much today." Matt grabbed his son, grinning as the boy squealed happily and looked to Jeff, "Let me put him down for a nap and we'll talk, okay?"

Jeff blinked. "Talk about what?"

"Where you disappeared to for almost six hours on Monday," Matt replied, giving his brother a look. "I know that the podcast was only about an hour long. You own me an explanation." He walked away, Maxel smacking him lightly with the band.

Jeff snorted, crossing his arms as he sat back on Matt's couch. "I'm nearly forty years old, I don't owe you a damn thing." He laid down, stretching his arms behind his head. His thoughts wandered, remembering the podcast and the events that happened after.

Dean Ambrose…

Jeff had known about him, of course. Once word got back to him that the world was just begging for an Ambrose vs Hardy match, he had looked into figuring out about the younger man. From Jon Moxley to who he was now, it was clear to Jeff, even back then, that Jonathan Good was a little bit different.

Jeff frowned, remembering the way the blue-eyed man had been so hesitant to open up at first. How many times had Dean been rejected? How many people pushed him out of their lives for something he had no control over?

 _Jeff chewed slowly, his hand coming up his mouth subconsciously as he watched Dean glare at him. Jeff grinned, swallowing his mouthful and lowering his hand. "I've apologized and I'm buying you lunch, what else is it going to take to win back your friendship?"_

" _You fucking scared the shit out of me in that basement," Dean drawled, ripping apart a breadstick, "Fucking hiding under the stairs and grabbing my ankle as I was going up. I could have fallen and broken my neck!" The smirk on his face deleted any of the heat from the words, "I want a toy."_

" _What kind of toy?"_

" _Use your imagination."_

 _Jeff chuckled at the words, shaking his head. "Fine then, I'll get you your toy." He grabbed the pitcher of water, refilling Dean's glass, pausing when he noticed the surprised look in his blue eyes. "Is something wrong?"_

" _What? Oh, no. It's just that I don't think anyone but my mom or one of the guys ever refilled my glass like that." He looked a bit embarrassed and Jeff just smiled._

" _Get used to it then," he said warmly, grabbing his own glass. Before he could refill it, Dean's hand reached across the table. Jeff blinked, watching as Dean stood, leaning over so that he could grab the pitcher instead, and refilled Jeff's glass for him._

 _There was a small stain of color on his cheeks when he sat back down. He avoided eye contact, grabbing his glass and bringing it to his lips. He sipped, probably too quickly, because he coughed just slightly and smacked his chest._

 _Jeff chuckled, grabbing his own glass, "Thanks, darlin."_

 _Dean's eyes finally met his and Jeff nearly jumped, staring at the dark blue pools. Frowning, he looked away. "I'm sorry, it slipped out. I know I can be overly friendly-"_

" _It's fine," Dean said softly, his smile slowly coming back. "Call me whatever you want."_

 _He was silent for a few seconds after and then he pointed at Jeff's food. "I want your pickles, hand them over."_

His memories were interrupted by a smack on the head and he frowned, staring up at his older brother. "You couldn't just call my name?" he rubbed the sting away, sitting up to make room for Matt to sit down.

"I did," Matt replied, grinning, "Twice." He took a seat, groaning as his muscles eased onto the couch. "The grind never gets any easier."

Jeff laughed, "You're just an old man, Matt. You get tired too quickly."

"We can't all be cyborgs like you, jerk," Matt grumbled, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. "So, start talking."

"I'm not a child, Matt; you can't just demand to know my whereabouts."

"Anytime you run off without me it usually spells trouble that I have to bail you out from," Matt said matter-of-factly "so get to talking."

Jeff pouted, having no defense for the true statement. "I just hung out with Dean for a little while after the podcast, that's all."

"Five hours is a little while? You spent five hours with Dean Ambrose? What did you even do? This was your first time meeting him; there is no way that he warmed up to you so fast."

"Shows what you know. We went ghost hunting in the building and then had lunch. We had a lot of fun."

Matt stared at him, skeptical.

"He likes pickles," Jeff added.

"That's nice to know," Matt rolled his eyes at the unnecessary Ambrose fact, "Did you feel…safe around him?"

"Of course I did." Jeff sighed loudly, dragging his hands down his face. "I don't know why everyone treats him like he's an animal, he was completely pleasant and lovely company and-"

"Easy," Matt murmured gently, "I don't doubt your words. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He smirked, "Haven't heard you defend anyone but me like that."

"Jealous?" Jeff smiled playfully, poking his brother in the ribs. "He's very much like me, I can see why people compared us."

"Because you're both weird?"

"Fuck off, Matt."

"Seriously," Matt began, "Even though you feel comfortable around him, I want you to promise me that you will be careful."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Jeff," Matt said firmly, "If Dean is as unstable as we have heard, he could set you back. I don't want you to fall back into your demons."

Jeff frowned, standing up. "I've been clean for six years," he said tightly, remembering to censor his volume for the sake of Matt's wife and son. "Nothing is going to damage that."

"Good." Matt stood as well, hauling his brother into a tight embrace. "It's going to be so much more hectic now that we're back in the WWE…I need you to come to me when you start feeling your hands slipping from the reigns."

Jeff nodded, his cheek pressed against Matt's jaw. "I'm not going to fuck up again, Matt. I promise." Inhaling deeply, he wrinkled his nose and shoved Matt away. "Go wash your hair, the bleach is starting to smell."

"Fine, you shit. Have you got all your stuff ready for Payback?"

Damn it. He knew he had forgotten something.

"Heh," Jeff smiled nervously, "Just about done."

Matt groaned, turning away from his irresponsible little brother. "Damn it, go pack. I want you back here bright and early so that we could ride out to the airport, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Jeff mumbled, heading towards Matt's front door. He opened it and stepped outside, breathing in the smell of pine-trees. He made his way down the worn path connecting his and Matt's homes, his eyes on the sky.

He'd need to stop by the store later. With his nephew stealing all of his headbands, he was down to just two; one orange and one a deep blue. He felt a vibration in his pocket and he smiled, fishing out his phone.

Jeff stared down at the text, feeling his heart flutter.

 _-Have I mentioned how much I fucking love this song?-_

Dean had first heard Peroxwhy?gen's new single, Revived, on the podcast and had apparentaly been listening to it ever since. He didn't go a day without sending the same text to Jeff since that Monday.

Jeff sent a reply, grinning wider as he stepped onto his property. There was also that other thing he had to get from the store…

* * *

- _Do you? Man, I think that guy's vocals suck.-_

Dean snickered as he read the text, his head bobbing the music playing in his ears. He was just about to reply when his foot was tugged. Frowning, he glanced up, pulling the ear-buds out of his ears. "What?"

And of course this fucker somehow had a keycard to his room. He'd probably charmed the woman at the front desk and she, naturally, handed it over without quarrel.

"Are you seriously listening to his song again?" Seth grinned, hands on his hips as he looked down at the sprawled out superstar. He was dressed in a simple pair of black lounge pants and a grey T-shirt. "Get out of bed, would you? You need to go train with Roman."

Dean sighed but got up anyway. There was no arguing with Seth when it came to fitness. "What's it going to be today?"

Seth shrugged, bending over to pick up Dean's bag of laundry. "I'll give you guy's free reign today, do whatever you want but keep it easy and light. My goal was just to get you out of bed." He wrinkled his nose, staring into the bag of dirty clothes, "Honestly, do you not get tired of having your laundry done for you like a child?"

"You want an honest answer?" Dean smirked, tugging his white tank top over his head and chucking it at Seth, "put that in there too, and try to avoid getting kidnapped by fans out there."

He was joking, of course. The hotel they were staying in was very low-key about the wrestlers they were hosting. The laundry room was a floor above their room and could only be accessed with a certain key card but he liked to scare Seth, who had way too many close encounters with love-struck females, any chance he got.

Seth clucked his tongue, turning around, "Asshole."

"Love you too, Rolly," Dean adjusted the string on his basketball shorts and grabbed his shoes, slipping them on before shoving his ear-buds back into his ears. Jeff's eerily seductive voice filled his head and he grabbed his phone, typing a quick response.

When he made it to the gym, he could see Roman hauling ass on a treadmill. His loud laugh caused the Samoan to flip him the bird. "Careful there, man. You don't want to break the machine."

"Why don't you come over so I can break you instead?!" Roman yelled, wheezing as he slowed down to a jog. "I hate cardio so much."

Dean stepped up onto the treadmill besides Roman, starting it off at an easy jog. He didn't mind cardio. He could lift the weights hard like Roman, and sometimes even managed to keep up with Seth at cross-fit, but he trained for endurance, his body able to run for longer than either of his Shield brothers.

They kept it light, like Seth had told them to. The pay-per-view was tomorrow night. Even though Dean wasn't competing, he always trained with the guys as a sort of motivation.

"So," Roman sighed heavily as they made their way back to their rooms, "Seth wrestles before me on the card so you're going to have a find to entertain yourself while you wait on my match at the end."

Thoughts of Jeff's laughter and eyes filled Dean's mind.

"Oh, I'll be okay. Don't worry about me."

The day of the Payback, Sunday, didn't start off on a good note.

First of all, Dean hadn't been able to see Jeff at all before his match. He had looked around the arena, but either the Hardy's were still not in the building or they were holed up somewhere with old friends.

Either way, by the time their match with Sheamus and Cesaro came up, Dean was sitting in the locker room watching Roman help Seth stretch out his limbs. He looked up at the monitor immediately once that familiar music hit and he focused all his attention on the match.

It was going smoothly, for the most part. The occasional bumps Jeff sold always looked impressive, even at his age. Dean watched as Sheamus took Jeff down, before the pale man reared back his leg.

His foot caught Jeff right in the face.

Dean stared at the monitor, eyes wide. He slowly leaned forwards on the bench, his hand coming up to grab his chin. The cameras zoomed in on Jeff's face. The younger Hardy had his eyes squeezed in a tight grimace. His tattooed hand kept coming up to his mouth, checking for damage-

Dean saw it. He swore violently, unintentionally startling his friends.

"What happened?" Seth asked, body paused in mid-stretch. He looked to the screen and his eyes widened. "Holy shit."

Roman was now fully invested as well, frowning.

"Sheamus kicked him in the face," Dean snarled, expression livid. "Knocked his damn tooth out." He stood, pacing around the monitor.

"What the hell is the matter with you? Calm down," Roman said tightly, "Jeff has jumped off of 20ft ladders, production trucks, all sorts of crazy shit. A lost tooth isn't going to hurt him."

"I know that," Dean muttered, hands coming up to drag down his face, "but the fucker _kicked him in the face_ way too stiffly." He inhaled deeply, feeling Roman's heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Dean," Seth said softly, "Jeff will be fine."

Dean nodded, lips pinched shut. He sat down again, his chin in his hands as he watched the rest of the fight.

They were right, of course. As the match continued, Jeff showed no signs of discomfort other than the occasional grasp to his jaw. The match ended with the brothers retaining their titles and everything was fine. The scheduled heel turn of Sheamus and Cesaro followed and then, finally, it was over.

He stood.

"Wait-"

Dean ignored Roman, rushing out of the locker room. He bypassed several coworkers, vaguely nodding or lifting a hand when someone acknowledged him. He made his way straight towards the training ward, tapping his foot anxiously as he leaned against the wall.

It only took several minutes. Voices began to get closer and Dean looked up hopefully. His eyes narrowed as he watched Sheamus grab Jeff's shoulder, halting his walk. Sneering, Dean pushed off the wall and made his way over to them.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Sheamus said sincerely, wincing as he looked at Jeff's mouth.

Jeff chuckled, waving him off. "Don't worry about it, man." He turned his head at the sound of rapid footsteps approaching and he blinked. He felt that familiar tightness in his chest at the sight of the brown-haired man. "Dean?" his eyes widened when said man stepped chest to chest with Sheamus.

"What number is he, Sheamus? The third of fourth guy you've stiffed?" Dean growled lowly, eyes flashing.

Sheamus stared at him, stunned.

"Ambrose," Jeff grabbed Dean's wrist, gently pulling him away from the Irish native, "Sheamus, its fine. Thanks for checking in on me."

"Right," Sheamus nodded slowly, glancing at Jeff once more before he walked away, tossing looks at the lunatic over his shoulder.

Jeff frowned, hands on his hips as he studied his friend. "What was that?"

Dean didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed Jeff's hand and pulled him into the trainer's room. Once inside the small room, he released Jeff's hand but only to press against his chest, gently pushing him down onto an examiner table. He then grabbed one of the trainers by the shirt cuff and dragged him over to the enigma. "Fix him."

The trainer looked miffed but didn't argue once Dean glared him down. He smiled at the risk-taking Hardy and Jeff found himself smiling back besides his confusion. "Ok, Jeff, let's see what the damage is."

Jeff listened to what the trainer told him, nodding along to the words even as his eyes occasionally flicked to Dean, who was pacing around the small room. "Thank you," he said sincerely, watching the trainer nod and leave the room. He ducked his head when Dean stopped in his tracks, staring at him. "I know I don't look my best-"

"Oh, shut up, Hardy." Dean plopped down on the floor in front of him, sitting with his knees tucked. "You look as gorgeous as usual." The words flowed out so smoothly that Jeff couldn't stop the blush from reaching his cheeks. "Does it hurt?"

"Not much," Jeff replied honestly. "It's more of a dull pressure. I've had worse." He shrugged a shoulder, "Matt's probably already gathering information on several dentists so I should be ok by RAW tomorrow." They looked up to the door when it opened quickly.

"Dean, you idiot," Seth frowned, coming into the room with Roman trailing behind him. "Sheamus told us what happened and it took a lot of convincing from us that you were just kidding around so you better apologize the next time you see him!"

Dean snorted, turning his face away.

"Hey, Hardy," Roman smiled, "how's the tooth?"

Jeff's lips quirked. "I'll be fine. It's nice to see you guys again." And he meant it. He genuinely enjoyed seeing Roman and Seth. For the little time he'd been able to speak to them, they were both cool people.

"You too, Jeff," Seth beamed at the enigma before he smacked Dean's leather-clad shoulder, "I'm sure Jeff needs to shower and change so leave him alone and come help us warm-up for our matches."

Jeff giggled, seeing the annoyed look flash across Ambrose's face. "Come find me after," he told Dean, smiling when the other man tilted his head, "I've got something for you."

Dean's lips twitched and he nodded, letting himself be dragged away by Seth but keeping his eyes on Hardy. Roman stayed behind, grinning at Jeff.

"What?"

"Man, I've never seen him so riled up. You've put my boy in a state," Roman chuckled as Jeff flushed. "You know, Eki always told me to come to you if I ever made it in this business. Said you were one of the greatest guys he's ever met."

"It went both ways," Jeff smiled, resting his head against the wall as he remembered the times he spent with Umaga. "He was one of my closest friends. He damn near bull-dozed himself on my motocross track."

"He told me about that," Roman nodded, "he also told me about how you guys would have _fun_ together."

Jeff straightened, sensing the shift in the conversation, "Yeah," he murmured, "I remember." Licking his lips, he chose his next words carefully, "Roman, I don't intend to involve Dean in any of it. I have been clean for years; I won't fall back into it."

"I believe you." Roman said simply, "That's why I chose to come to you instead of Seth. He's a bit more protective of Dean and he'd probably be in here chewing you out but I trust you. I just wanted to say…be careful with him, Jeff. Dean sometimes still snaps, even if he doesn't know it and drugs…they would probably send him off the deep end."

Anger bubbled in Jeff's chest but he willed himself calm. He couldn't blame the big man, or his partner, about how they felt about his situation with Dean. "I would never expose him to that world. I no longer live that life."

And, naturally, Matt would choose that moment to enter the room. He stared at Roman, confused. "Hello, Roman."

"Matt," Roman nodded. "Great match, you both haven't lost your touch."

"Thank you," the older brother glanced to Jeff. "You about ready to hit the showers?"

"Yeah," Jeff hopped off the table, smiling as Roman patted his shoulder. "Send Ambrose over when you guys are done warming up."

"I will." Roman stepped out of the room first; the Hardy's following, and disappeared down the hall.

"What was that?" Matt asked casually as they began their trek towards the locker room.

Jeff sighed, "Just a check-up."

"Right. How's the mouth?"

"I'll be ok." Jeff paused, staring at the look on Matt's face. "What?"

"You really have matured," Matt said, eyes soft. "I'm sure that if this happened years ago you would be flipping shit over how you look."

"I think I look fine," Jeff answered, grinning widely. "It can be fixed."

"Your vanity used to be widespread around the locker room, Jeff. How do you not care about having a tooth knocked out of your pretty face?"

Jeff just laughed, pushing open the door of the locker room and letting his brother step in first. "I just don't." Dean's words had erased any doubt. "You set up an appointment already anyway, didn't you?"

"Bright and early," Matt confirmed. "Let's hurry up and shower so we can head back to hotel. I am exhausted."

"Right."

* * *

"Can I go now?" Dean grumbled, eyes narrowed at his smiling friends. They were all waiting around in the backstage area; where Roman was rubbing Seth's knee and the eyes they were making at each other was making Dean want to smack them.

"Fine," Seth laughed, glancing at the time. The women were up next to wrestle so he had a little while before his own match. "Be back in time to watch my match."

Dean rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah." He hopped off of the crate he had been sitting on and waved, turning on his heels and making a beeline for the locker room. Jeff should be done with everything at his point.

He let himself into the locker room, ignoring everyone else's eyes on him. He searched out Jeff, but only saw Matt. He forced a smile onto his face when the older Hardy waved him over. "Hey, man. Where's your brother?"

Matt shouldered his bag, smiling, "He's in the garage grabbing whatever it was he wanted to give you from our rental. He should be back in a few." He glanced behind him, seeing some of the guys staring at them curiously. "Why don't you meet him at the elevator? I'm sure you don't want everyone eyeing you."

Word had probably gotten out about how he'd stepped up to Sheamus.

Dean nodded, grateful for the insight. He followed Matt to the elevators, casually sharing their opinions of the matches tonight, and then he stabbed at the button to summon the elevator.

The doors opened, revealing Jeff.

His washed hair was held up in a high pony-tail, darker due to dampness. He was dressed in the new Hardy Boyz merch, the green and midnight blue colored shirt complimenting his bright green eyes. A pair of dark jeans and black Chuck Taylor's completed his look and he had a backpack slung over his right shoulder.

Dean felt his stomach flip as the corner of Jeff's lips twitched. "Hey," he said softly, moving a bit to his left to make room.

Jeff stepped off of the elevator, ushering Matt inside of it. "I'll meet you down there."

"I'm taking the car if you drag ass," Matt threatened, "I am ready to fall asleep standing."

Dean shrugged, "I'll drive him back to the hotel. Roman is taking Seth out tonight so I rented my own car." He liked the pleased smirk that Jeff threw his older brother.

Matt blinked, his threat now empty, but he didn't seem upset. "Fine by me." He smacked his brother's back, ignoring Jeff's indignant yelp, "Your appointment is at 7:30 tomorrow, don't forget."

"Fine, you asshole," Jeff muttered, a hand coming up to rub at his lower back. They watched the older brother press the button for the garage level and then faced each other.

Dean watched Jeff's tongue wet his lips and he stiffened, his lower half tingling pleasantly. He blinked when the bag Jeff had been holding was held out to him. It was a big bag. "What is this?"

"Open it," Jeff replied.

Confused, Dean unzipped the backpack and peered inside. His heart warmed. "Toys." In the backpack, nestled in between a sketch pad and Jeff's phone, was s rubix cube, an etch a sketch board, and a palm sized drone.

Jeff chuckled, "I couldn't decide which one you'd like more so I just got you the three that I figured would be best." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Dean zipped up the bag and set it down at their feet carefully, "I hope you like them, I still don't know enough about you to-"

Dean grabbed Jeff's wrist, pulling him into an embrace. A tight hug, with his arms completely surrounding the older man's waist. He heard the stunned inhale of air but he didn't react to it. Instead, he rested his chin against Jeff's shoulder.

It wasn't long before he felt Jeff's own arms come around his shoulders. He exhaled shakily, slowly pulling back to look Jeff in the eyes. "Thank you," he murmured, a slow grin taking over his face, "I wasn't serious about them but…no one has ever cared enough to actually get me toys."

Jeff's face was confused, his brows furrowed. His arms hung loosely around Dean's shoulders, "No one?"

"Grew up poor," Dean shrugged. "Mom couldn't really afford to spend money on toys and the guys and other friends I've met usually only ever give me practical stuff. Watches, belts, some sort of clothing item. I really appreciate it, Jeff." He hid his face against the tattooed neck, his body trembling just a bit.

He could feel the other man's long fingers being to stroke his hair and he sighed softly, lifting his head back up. "Come on. Let's go and watch Seth and Roman beat some ass and then we'll head back to the hotel."

Jeff nodded, watching Dean pick up the backpack and carry it for him. "You know, the hotel we're staying at is said to be haunted," he laughing slightly, "do you want to try our look at finding a ghost again?"

"I'm up for it." Dean replied, smirk in place, "Don't you fucking scare me again, though."

"And if I do?" Jeff's voice was teasing. Playful.

Dean grabbed his hand, stroking the skin with his thumb, "You'll be in trouble."

"Well. Now I'm tempted." Jeff's fingers curled around Dean's hand. And Dean had truly never felt so relaxed and content.

* * *

 **These two had a damn match together and I'm living for it.**

 **It's kind of a slow burn at the moment but I'll add gas to that fire soon. Updates are going to be every Tuesday/Wednesday depending on how long I want to make the chapters.**

 **Also, the timeline is going to be kinda wonky. I'm not going to write about every single RAW and might skip ahead a few but I'm still working out kinks.**

 **Any spelling or grammar errors you're free to call me out on but I probably won't care enough to fix any, you get the gist of what I'm writing. Also, Dean is a controlled lunatic. For now. He gets a bit more…demented the more attached he gets to Jeff (his light) and Jeff gets his own share of demons knocking on his door in the future.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in this story or in the world for that matter. This is for fun, not profit.**

 **Quick notes: Thanks for the reviews/favs/alerts, etc. I'm glad you all like the story!**

 **JNHwwe: Right? I love Jeff in pain. There is just something endearing about him overcoming them all. They do sync rather well together, don't they? I think they are sweet. And thank you so much! I love that line also haha. I am SO glad you enjoy the story! Thank you for the review!**

 **EuphoricLust: Yesss, it is slow to warm up but when they get to their passion, it is going to be LIT. Thank you for the review! I am glad you like it.**

 **Also, I'm going to go ahead and skip this chapter to May 8** **th** **where Dean faced Bray Wyatt, which means they are currently on the European tour.**

 **Chapter 3: Peculiar Feelings**

* * *

 _-London, England; Monday-_

"Damn it, _Dean_!"

Dean jerked awake, the loud voice startling him enough to fall out of the bed. He shoved the hair away from his face, peering around the bed frame. He was met with an odd sight.

Seth was balanced on one foot, the other one cupped in his hands. He was massaging the bottom heel, eyes shut tight in pain.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"You left your stupid toy on the ground again!" Seth hollered, expression livid as be set his foot down gingerly before grabbing the colorful rubix cube and chucking it at Dean's head. Dean caught it easily, smiling innocently at his friend.

"This is why I told you I wanted my own hotel room but you and Roman insist on making my life miserable by rooming with me." Dean glanced behind them. Roman was un-bothered by the noise, still snoring away on the other bed, his long hair strewn about the pillow and the sheets tangled up between his legs.

"They make the hotel beds bigger in Europe and it's cheaper for all of us," Seth reminded him, face still stern. "Come on, we've got to get ready." He half-limped over to Roman, gently stroking his fingers over the bigger man's cheek.

Dean mimed a gagging motion at the affectionate display before plopping himself back down on the bed, setting his rubix cube on his bedside drawer and scratching at his bare stomach lightly, "Get ready nothing, I'm going back to sleep."

Roman let out a loud yawn before promptly rolling over, tugging Seth down into a sleepy embrace. "Good idea."

Seth grunted, throwing Roman's heavy arm off of his chest. He smirked, arms crossed as he leaned his back against the wall, "Guess I'll just tell Jeff that you would rather sleep than explore London then."

Dean sat up. "What?"

"Honestly, Dean, you have the memory of a goldfish." Seth shook his head. "We decided last night during dinner that we would sight-see with the Hardy's, and Ronnie."`

"He was eyeing Jeff all night," Roman chuckled, eyes still closed, "He doesn't remember anything but that."

Seth frowned but Dean couldn't help the small grin on his face as he recalled last night's events.

" _Back in the saddle!" Ronnie, better known as R-Truth, cried out as he dinked glasses with Matt and Jeff, "Man, I missed my boys." He tossed his head back as he drank from his glass._

 _They were seated at a nice restaurant recommended to them by the company, and they were enjoying the night. The Hardy boys and Ron were sitting side-by-side with Jeff in between, and right across from them sat Roman, Dean, and Seth._

 _Dean had his chin resting on his palm, lost in watching Jeff as the enigma brought his own glass up, those damn lips kissing at the rim. He immediately turned away as those green eyes turned towards him and he lifted his own drink, casually sipping as he pretended he wasn't just leering at the man._

" _It's nice to be on tour," Jeff said softly, "I missed it back when I was on probation." He glanced at his brother, noticing the older man looking a bit forlorn._

" _Are you okay, Matt?" Seth asked, peering over at the Hardy from across the table. "Is it the food?"_

 _Dean elbowed his friend in the ribs, "Don't start that shit," he muttered, "None of us are eating anything unhealthy." And it was true. Being on tour with a hectic schedule, they all knew better than to gorge themselves on food that would potentially do more bad than good. As such, all six of them were eating some sort of salad with a protein and carb choice._

 _The drinks were conservative. They were allowed a little bit of fun._

 _Matt smiled, shaking his head, "Food is great," he said, "I just don't really feel good being away from Reby and Maxel for so long."_

 _Ronnie nodded, "It all changes when you got kids, man." He reached over to pat Matt's back, "But hey, it's only two weeks. It'll fly by before you know it and when you get home it'll make the reunion that much sweeter."_

" _Thanks, Ron," Matt was touched._

 _Jeff smiled at his brother and close friend before grunting in surprise when Ronnie smacked his shoulder._

" _So, when you gonna pop out some kids, Jeff? That girly figure of yours, I'm telling you man! You still got it!"_

 _Several tables down, chuckles erupted at Ron's words. Dustin, Joe, and AJ all grinned playfully at the now red-faced Hardy boy, eagerly awaiting his comeback._

" _I haven't got a girlish figure," he grumbled, poking at his tomatoes with his fork, "In case you didn't notice, I gained quite a few pounds."_

" _So does that mean you're pregnant?"_

 _Loud guffaws filled the air and Jeff twitched, responding by throwing a balled-up napkin at his friend. "Screw you, Ronnie!" but he had begun to smile, that beautiful repaired grin bright and sincere._

 _Jeff's eyes were so fucking bright in the dimly lit restaurant. The small light above their heads emitted a soft golden glow; the fucking thing just highlighting the gorgeous green eyes that-_

 _Dean jumped when he was poked in the ribs, the fork in his hand clattering loudly onto his plate. He could see several heads turn in his direction, confused gazes causing him to twitch before he frowned at the man to his left._

" _You're staring at him again," Roman whispered, smirking when Dean stuck his tongue out in reply. "Don't show me that, show it to Jeff. I'm sure he would enjoy-"_

 _The sound Roman made when Dean stomped on his foot drew those god damn gorgeous green eyes in his direction again and Dean shrugged, smiling lazily at Jeff._

" _Everything okay over there?" Jeff asked, head tilted as Dean waved him off._

" _Roman has got stomach problems, he's fine." Dean stood, reaching across the table to spear one of Jeff's pickles with his own fork. "Thank you."_

" _You're so rude, Dean," Seth groaned, dragging a hand down his face._

 _Jeff chuckled, watching Dean chew the nicked tomato, "It doesn't bother me," he told Seth, "I'm getting pretty used to it actually." And he smiled that fucking smile and Dean found himself lost all over again._

The pillow hitting him in the face pulled him rather rudely away from his memories and he glared at Seth.

"Dean," Seth began, voice low, "What do you feel for Jeff?"

Roman sat up. He gazed at his lover quietly for a few seconds before he turned to Dean, awaiting the answer.

"I…don't know," Dean replied, eyes lowering to the bed-sheets. He fisted the material, trying to find the words, "I like being around him. I _really_ like it. The air smells so much cleaner when he's near me and my thoughts," he swallowed, "my thoughts are always on him. His voice, his smile, his _fucking_ eyes…"

His friends were silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I feel happier when I'm with him. As much as I love you guys, and I do," Dean met their eyes, "I'm not always a fan of being your third wheel. You're my best friends but you don't really understand all of me." He paused and then admitted, "I feel like Jeff does."

Roman smiled at him but Seth seemed a bit worried.

"Dean," the aerialist murmured, "be careful."

"Careful?" Dean frowned, "of what?" He caught the stern look Roman aimed at Seth. "Of what?" he demanded, voice louder.

Seth hesitated but Roman sighed.

"Seth and I are worried that if Jeff falls back into old patterns that he'll drag you down with him." Roman told him bluntly.

"You can't be serious." Dean stared at them. "Jeff's been clean for years. He wouldn't do that to me." Roman seemed content with his answer but Seth looked doubtful. Dean shook his head, getting up.

"I'm going to shower," he muttered, not looking their way as he went into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his blue eyes looking back at him. Jeff wouldn't…he wouldn't do it.

"He won't." He whispered, lowering his head slowly.

Jeff wouldn't turn back to drugs.

"I won't let him."

* * *

Sight-seeing was actually pretty fun. Not to say that Dean didn't enjoy it in general but it was just that usually he would only have Roman and Seth as company and half that time it was spent with him rolling his eyes at their PDA.

With Jeff as company, he actually had someone he could talk with and to experience and take in the atmosphere with. They were briefly followed by a camera crew to cut some short videos for the WWE's YouTube, but for the most part they were free to roam. As long as they made it back to the arena for RAW, of course.

They came upon a public park, a large fountain built in the dead center. Benches and trees lined the quaint area, and families were all relaxing about. At some point, they were stopped by young fans.

Dean remembered to smile as he handed the little boy back the pen and paper. He still wasn't used to the attention. A quick glance over to Jeff showed that the Hardy was all too familiar with this routine. He was taking pictures and signing things left and right, his smile always bright and his wacky expressions delighting the fans.

Once the fans all dispersed, they trekked slowly towards the fountain. It was well over nine feet tall, the top tier decorated with a statue of dolphins spitting water. A couple of younger kids were dipping their hands into the water, clearly ignoring the warning sign engraved onto the fountain's rim, something about it being deep enough for a child to drown or whatever.

Jeff's slow smile and the way he glanced over at the fountain caused Matt immediate panic.

"No," the older brother began, eyebrows lowering, "don't you dare-"

"He said it." Ronnie said, grinning over at The Shield.

Dean felt that damn purring in his chest when Jeff turned those eyes on him. He exhaled softly, thankful that the shades he was wearing were concealing the stars he had for this man in his own eyes. "What is it?" he murmured, curiously watching Jeff lean closer to him.

Jeff didn't answer at first. He shrugged out of his zippered up gray hoodie, handing it to Matt, whose face was absolutely thunderous. Ignoring him, Jeff then lifted his shirt over his head, the hair that been held up in its usual bun becoming messy and uneven.

Dean gazed at the tattooed pale skin, his jaw dropping just slightly as Jeff offered him the shirt. He took it, his fingertips grazing Jeff's just slightly. Dean almost jumped when Jeff's hand grabbed at his sunglasses, slowly pushing them up to rest against the top of his messy hair.

Jeff smiled, fingers slowly trailing down Dean's jaw before he opened his mouth. And Dean could swear on his _life_ that his heart skipped a few beats at what came out of those lips.

"Dare me," Jeff breathed, eyes locked intensely on his own.

"Do _not_!" Matt said sternly, grabbing a tight hold on Jeff's hand. He frowned at Dean, who was staring at Jeff heatedly. "Ambrose, no."

"Dean," Seth tried to intercede, grabbing his own friend's arm, "Listen to Matt-"

Dean shrugged him off. He stared at Jeff's face, his eyes, and his lips. That fucking smile and those damn green eyes.

Dean smirked. He reached over, gently pulling at the band holding Jeff's hair in place. He tugged it off slowly, watching those darkened locks slip down to slide against his shoulders. Voice low, he spoke. "I dare you."

And Jeff's eyes _glowed_.

"Jeffrey!" Matt tried to keep his hold on his brother but it was futile.

With a well-timed jerk of his wrist, Jeff was free. He rushed to the fountain, making sure to go the other way around the not jostle kids. He jumped in, grabbing at the structure with quick hands and damn near flew up to the top.

People gathered around, staring at the crazy Hardy boy. Parents grabbed their children, disapproving frowns on their faces as the kids cheered and laughed at Jeff. At this point, Matt had just accepted the problem. He was apologizing profusely to the people around them, trying to make up an excuse for his brother.

Ronnie was cheering along with the kids, his laughter echoing around the area, watching as Jeff danced around the statue, patting the dolphins on the head. "You're insane!" he cried out.

Seth was beside himself. He looked somewhere in between being embarrassed and afraid. He was gripping Roman's shoulder, who was also cheering for the enigma. "Roman! What if he fucking slips and falls?!"

"You're joking, right?" Roman cackled, "This is Jeff Hardy!"

Dean stared, heart hammering painfully in his chest. Jeff was beautiful, his expression so free. There was nothing quite like seeing the man cause mischief, putting himself in danger. He wasn't afraid…he never seemed to be.

It didn't last very long. After a few minutes, Jeff climbed back down. He grinned playfully at his frowning brother, hissing as he received a whack to the chest. "Owe!"

"You're not going to make it to forty," Matt growled, "If you don't manage to kill yourself before then, I'm probably going to end up doing it for you." He shoved the hoodie back at his brother. "Get dressed. We're done for the day."

Jeff snickered, watching his brother stomp away. He winked at Ronnie, who was still laughing even as he followed after the irate brother.

"Jeff, that is so dangerous," Seth lectured, "you could have slipped and fallen and you didn't even know if the structure was sound enough to hold your weight."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

Dean and Roman chuckled, seeing Seth's face immediately drop as Jeff pouted.

"Of course not, but-" Seth squawked in outrage when Roman dragged him away. He had not been done with the younger Hardy but the Samoan could clearly care less. "Dean!" the architect hollered, "I'm going to dig into you later!"

"I'm terrified," Dean drawled, watching Jeff slip his wet arms into his hoodie. The material scrunched up but Jeff didn't seem to care. They shared a smile, Dean handing him his shirt. "You really are kind of crazy."

"Does it scare you?" Jeff challenged, running his fingers through his damp hair, intending to tie it back.

Dean stopped him. "It doesn't scare me," he murmured, knocking Jeff's fingers away. He stroked the silky locks, curling them around his wrist. "It gives me bad thoughts, though." He enjoyed the red stain blooming on those cheeks. Almost as much as he enjoyed the squeak that came from those lips when he gently tugged at Jeff's hair, "Come on. You need to get dry."

"Yeah," Jeff said quietly, but he didn't move.

That odd grumble in chest started again as he stared Jeff. His eyes focused on a water droplet sliding down his temple. He followed it, watching it glide down Jeff's face until it reached the corner of his mouth. He swallowed hard, watching Jeff's pink tongue slide out to collect that little bit of water.

Fucking _Christ_.

Dean released Jeff, walking back a few feet. He inhaled shakily, shrugging off his leather jacket. He pressed it against his front, narrowing his eyes at Jeff's teasing grin. "Walk, damn it."

Jeff obliged, giggling a bit.

That didn't solve much of Dean's problem though. His cock jerked at the sight of Jeff's water-clogged jeans pressing tightly against the curve of his round ass.

Wonderful.

* * *

 _ **-Raw; May 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **-**_

Jeff had been waiting backstage after Dean's match. Stepping up to the brown-haired man after he had slowly walked over and sat back against the wall, Jeff placed the bag of ice he had been holding onto Dean's traps, smiling as the man tensed before slouching against the wall, the coolness easing his aching muscle. "Nice belt shot from Miz, you sold it like a pro."

"It hurt," Dean grumbled, glancing up at the enigma. "I brace myself for it each time and it doesn't do me any favors." He pushed his damp wet hair out of his face. "You don't have a match tonight, right?"

"Nope." Jeff leaned his shoulder against the wall. "That promo with Matt, Sheamus and Cesaro was it." He blinked when Dean grinned widely up at him.

"Let's go out," Dean said casually.

"Okay, sure," Jeff nodded, "I'll go let Matt know while you get Roman and Seth-"

"No," Dean interrupted softly. He stood, wincing a bit as he reached back to hold the bag in place. "Just you and me, no one else," he licked his lips, Jeff's attention zeroing in on the movement, "We can just walk around and talk…?"

Jeff stared. Was Dean trying to initiate some sort of a date? It was so cute.

He _sucked_ so badly at it.

"Sounds great," Jeff said, just as softly. "What else do you want to do besides talk?"

Dean looked away and Jeff chuckled, taking pity on the younger man.

"Go shower," he said, tugging on the dark, soaked tank top. Seriously, how could a simple pair of jeans and a tank top look so good on a man?

Dean handed Jeff the icepack and slowly curled a finger around Jeff's pant loop. He pulled him close, his forehead coming down to rest against Jeff's shoulder. "Stay here?" he murmured, "will you wait for me right here?"

Jeff shuddered, feeling Dean's lips gently press against his exposed collarbone. "Of course I will," he swallowed thickly when the other man pulled away, a tiny smile in place.

"I'll see you in a few," Dean said, turning on his heel and wandering into the locker-rooms.

Jeff's fingers reached up to his collarbone, skimming over the area where he could still feel the warmth of Dean's lips. He smiled to himself and damn near jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Well, I guess I don't need to ask if you're ready to head out with me." Matt was smiling playfully at his brother.

"He wants to go on a walk," Jeff defended, crossing his arms. "You're going to be talking with Reby for hours before bed anyway. You kept me up last night."

"I'm not arguing," Matt held up his hands. "But what exactly is going on here, Jeff?"

Jeff faltered, eyes lowering.

"Are you going to get involved with him?"

"Matt-"

"Jeff." Matt countered, face stern. "Man, the last time you got into it with someone in our business, it didn't end well. Remember?"

Shit. This was bad, _bad_ territory.

Jeff sneered, angry that his brother dug up memories best left forgotten. "Yeah, Matt, I remember. He fucked your girlfriend and never even gave me a reason as to why."

Matt winced, staring sadly at his brother.

Licking his lips, Jeff turned away from his brother. "Don't wait up."

"Damn it, don't be a child." Matt grabbed Jeff's shoulder and turned him back around. He grabbed Jeff's cheeks, pressing his forehead against the extreme wrestler. "Jeffro, I'm sorry. I just don't want you hurt again."

"He won't hurt me," Jeff mumbled, stubbornly refusing to look Matt in the eyes. "I know you don't take my words seriously on this matter but I just know that Dean isn't…isn't like _him_."

Matt exhaled deeply, breaking the embrace. "Okay," he said. "I trust you on this." He frowned, pointing at his brother, "but if he starts shit, Jeff…I'm not going to let it go."

He wouldn't. Lord knew that Jeff loved his older brother but he knew better than anyone that Matt was an extremely vindictive man.

"Have fun," Matt said finally, turning away, "make sure he uses a condom."

Jeff turned red. "I hate you," he whined, watching his brother walk away laughing. Sighing, he eased down the wall to sit on the floor, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his elbows on them. He closed his eyes, mulling over his brother's words.

Matt had made Amy and Adam's life _hell_ for a very long time. A lot of people agreed that they had deserved it. Chris at the time had even boldly told Matt he thought it was the right thing. Shane wanted no part of it, neither did Jay, and even though the bridge had long been burned and their friendships with Matt had been restored…

Jeff had never received an apology from either of them.

" _You mean so much to me. You have for so long."_

He recoiled, balling his fists up against his temples as he remembered hazel eyes and passionate nights.

" _Fuck-do that again," Adam whispered, eyes falling shut as Jeff obliged, clenching tightly around his thrusting cock. "So good…so tight." He reached up, his thumb tracing a bruise he had sucked into the younger man's collarbone._

" _Harder," Jeff begged quietly, his hands planted firmly on the Canadian's chest. He rolled his fingers over Adam's stiff nipples, sighing loudly in pleasure as his demands were met. "Adam…"_

 _He opened his mouth for the kiss he knew was coming and he wasn't wrong. Adam sank down into his arms slowly, their mouths fusing together and staying locked as thrusts became sharper and hands held tighter._

How many times had he fallen asleep just staring into Adam's eyes? He couldn't fathom a number. That calm hazel glint that he was so used to. He'd only ever stared two other people in the eyes for much time, his father and Matt.

 _Jeff jerked awake. He stared at his screaming phone and groaned, reaching over to grab it. He flipped it open, knowing only one person who would be stupid enough to call him at the hour. "Matt, what the hell-"_

" _Is Adam with you?"_

 _Jeff glanced over his shoulder. The blonde was still asleep, his snores echoing around the room. "Of course he is."_

" _Good." Matt's voice was so low, so guttural, "because I'm on my way over there to kick the shit out of him."_

 _Jeff sat up immediately, feeling dread pool in his stomach. "Matt, you've never had a problem with him being my-"_

" _I didn't have a problem with him being your boyfriend, but I do have a problem with him being your boyfriend and_ _ **fucking my girl**_ _at the same time."_

 _And then the voicemails came. Matt had forwarded every single one of them. Jeff sat there, face void as he listened to the man he had fallen in love with…profess his love for his brother's girlfriend._

 _He played the messages on speaker, watching as Adam began to wake. He saw the look of horror on the tall man's face as he registered what was happening. Jeff only stared, hearing Adam begin to speak but not really listening._

 _And when Matt arrived only minutes later, Amy being following with tears running down her face and a too large T-shirt covering her small frame, he had moved to launch himself at Adam and Jeff didn't really remember what happened after that._

 _At some point that night, he had wandered off to the woods, easily locating one of his more elusive hide-outs. That was where he kept them, the only place he knew Matt would never find them._

 _It was the first time in a long time that he had gone for the drugs. He took a lot of them. Enough to forget, to fade away for a while…_

 _It was too much. After not using for well over a year, the length of time he had been in a relationship, too much of the hard stuff didn't do his body any favors. It took him weeks to start leaving his house again. Months before he began to train with Matt and Shannon._

 _A hard while later and he was back on RAW; stepping up to Edge. Not Adam, because Jeff had known Adam. He stepped up to Edge and led the rest of their feud with hatred in his heart._

 _Never once…was there a reason. Edge never spoke to him outside of wrestling. At some point, Matt had confessed to him that he and Edge were on better terms, but there was still no reason._

 _Jeff never got his closure._

A hand reached out to grab his chin and Jeff found himself staring into blue eyes. They were the most interesting shade of blue he had ever seen. So dark at times but at others, brightness like no other. The color of an ocean right before it would rain…or become deeper.

"Where are you right now?"

Jeff blinked at the words. A quick glance at his surroundings made him realize he was still backstage, leaning against the same wall where Dean, and then Matt, had left him. He braced his hands against Dean's forearms, both of them rising up slowly, keeping eye contact.

"Nowhere important," Jeff finally said, sliding his hands down to grab Dean's. "I'm happier where I am now."

Dean tilted his head. A wet tendril of hair brushed against his eyelash and Jeff swept it away with a smile. He really liked the younger man's eyes. They were beautiful…and he somehow felt so much more at home staring into Dean's eyes than he ever had staring into Adam's.

"You are happy here? With me? You're happy when you are with me?"

Dean was so adorable. He looked genuinely stunned.

Jeff rested his hand against the back of the brown-haired man's neck. "I am very happy when I am with you."

* * *

 **We got a neck kiss! Things are slow but they will pick up at some point. Maybe chapter 5ish.**

 **So much more to write. Not enough time.**

 **So the thing with that Matt/Amy/Adam triangle imploded around 2004 so that's around the time Jeff/Adam have been a couple. I'll dive more into details later. And sorry for the late update, I am sending several drafts of each chapter to a confidant and taking in tips and such.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own anyone in this story or in the world for that matter. This is for fun, not profit.**

 **NeroAnne: I still cannot thank you enough for guiding me. I am so grateful. T.T**

 **EuphoricLust: Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying it.**

 **JNHwwe: The passion implodes!**

 **CSIRide-Kirk: Here it is! I am so glad you like it!**

 **This chapter starts after the match on the RAW where the Hardy's and Ambrose teamed up to face Sheasaro and Miz.**

 **Chapter 4. Stable**

* * *

 _-May 29_ _th_ _post Sheasaro/Miz vs Hardy's/Ambrose match-_

"Man, you guys were amazing out there!"

Dean grinned lazily at his friend, his arm resting comfortably around Jeff's shoulders. The older man was icing his knee, his bare upper body leaning onto Dean's side. He had his eyes closed, his head tilted towards the lunatic's deltoid.

Roman's eyes were glowing as he continued, "Who'd have ever thought that the world would get to see Dean Ambrose and the Hardy Boyz in a match together? It was classic."

Matt stepped out of the shower, his T-shirt sticking slightly to his damp chest. He chuckled, running his hand through his wet hair, "You guys are the future, we're just happy to still be able to move."

"No kidding," Jeff mumbled, a pained grimace on his face as he shifted the bag of ice higher up his knee, "but you did wonderfully," he said softly, so that only Dean could hear him.

Dean felt his body warm at the praise and he nudged his nose against those dark strands of silk, "Are you good to stand? We both still need to shower." When the enigma nodded, Dean moved to help him rise.

"Together?" Roman teased, ignoring the frowns that came from Seth and some of the others in the locker room.

Snorting, Dean flipped a rude gesture to his friend and received the ice bag from Jeff. "Staying at the Hampton Inn, right?"

Jeff looked to Matt, who nodded in confirmation before smiling at Dean, "Want to steal me away from listening to Matt gush at his wife and kid?" he untied the sleeves of his spandex shirt from where they had been knotted at his waist.

The older brother snorted, reaching down into their bags to grab a towel for his brother. He tossed it at Jeff's face, smirking when it hit the younger man dead-on.

"I'm rooming on my own," Dean murmured, watching Jeff retaliate by chucking his spandex zip-up at Matt, "You are free to come over and stay as long as you want," he swallowed, "all night if you think you can hang."

Jeff's eyes lit up at the challenge and winked, walking gingerly over to the shower stall that Matt had vacated only minutes ago. "You're on, Ambrose." He tossed his pants from behind the curtain, somehow managing to nail Matt right in the head with the bunched up material. "Night, bro! Don't miss me too much."

"Little shit," Matt grumbled, stuffing the pants into Jeff's bag. He straightened, hearing his phone begin to ring. "It's Reby," he handed Jeff's bag to Dean, "Good luck with him, Jeff sings in his sleep."

"Of course he does," Dean waved the older brother off and turned, finding himself face-to-face with Seth's frown. "What?"

"Can I speak to you?" the architect asked, " _Alone_?"

Dean glanced over the shorter man's shoulder, noting Roman's frown. His eyes did a quick sweep through the locker room and he noticed the way that several of the guys were staring at them. "Okay."

Following his dark haired friend out of the room, Dean stopped just short of the entrance to the garage. "What is it?"

Seth hesitated before he sighed and placed his hands firmly on his hips, "I do not think it would be a smart decision to spend the night with Jeff."

Dean frowned but before he could open his mouth, Seth held up a hand.

"Just because you haven't had an episode in a while does not mean that it won't happen, Dean. Especially if you're around someone as unpredictable or dangerous-"

"Dangerous," Dean repeated, irritated. "What's dangerous about Jeff? He's a great guy, everyone likes him."

"I like him too," Seth said softly, "but I just don't want him to expose you to anything. You've had your battles with drugs in the past, Dean. Don't forget that. He can easily pull you back into that and with your mental state…it is too risky."

Dean bit the inside of his cheek, anger bubbling in his chest. The sudden urge to just barb at his friend was consuming him. "I'm not going to fall into that," he muttered tightly, "because Jeff doesn't do that anymore. Thanks for your concern, pal, but take it elsewhere." He turned away, hoping that Jeff was done with showering.

"I'm not the only one who thinks so," Seth said quickly before Dean could leave. "A lot of people think he'll abuse again. And because they see you with him, they will assume you will do it too."

"I don't give a fuck about those people," Dean snarled, turning to face Seth, "Keep this shit up…and I'll stop giving a fuck about you too." With that, he finally walked away, not giving a damn about Seth's stunned and mute distress.

Walking back into the locker room, he glared heatedly at the eyes watching him with curiosity. "Any of you got something to say?"

No one spoke up.

Roman shook his head, resting a hand on Dean's shoulder, "It'll pass," he muttered, "they are just interested in the gossip but you know it won't last."

"It better fucking not," Dean growled, keeping his eyes fixed on the crowd, "you hear me? If I catch any of you talking shit-"

"Hey," a soft voice and a hand clamping around his wrist was all it took for Dean to deflate, turning his head and seeing those wide green eyes. "What's wrong?"

Swallowing thickly, Dean shook his head. He reached down and grabbed his bag, "Nothing." He turned his hand, letting his fingers ghost over Jeff's wrist. "Let me take a quick shower and we'll get out of here," he waited for Jeff to nod and then made his way into a shower stall, ripping the curtain open a bit harder than necessary.

As soon as he stepped in, he pulled off his clothing and tossed them over the stall, knowing that Roman will probably be the one to put them away for him. Normally Seth would do it, clucking his tongue over his treatment of the clothes but…

A polished hand crept through the curtain and Dean stared at it. It was holding his plastic case of hair products and soap. He grinned, and grabbed that wrist again, playfully pulling hard enough to cause Jeff to yelp and skid away, the bag falling onto the wet tile.

"You're an asshole!" the North Carolinian shouted back.

Dean laughed, picking up his toiletries, "And you love it!"

* * *

Jeff grumbled, shaking off his wet hand. He stared at the shower stall, his lips pouted and eyes thoughtful.

"He's fine." Roman assured Jeff, seeing the Hardy's concern. He smiled when their eyes met, "Locker room gossip and nothing more."

Jeff hummed, his eyes sweeping through the room. "I'm no stranger to gossip." He crossed his arms, smiling thinly, "I wish they would leave him out of it, though."

Roman chuckled, "He can hold his own. I'm sure you'll stop him from getting too bloody with anyone," he smirked at the sudden alarm in the eyes of several of the men.

"What makes you think I can calm him down?"

Roman handed him Dean's bag and merely smiled. "You already have." He winked, "Have fun tonight."

Jeff could feel his cheeks warming and he fumbled for a response, watching Roman merely laugh and walk out of the locker room. He huffed, turning back to the shower stall when he heard the water stop. "Anything in particular you want to wear?" he tossed a towel over the top of the stall.

"Yeah, there's a light gray hoodie in there, it's a zip up and it's got some writing on it, hand me that and the basketball shorts." A hand popped out from the behind the curtain, waiting for the requested items.

Jeff blinked and set down the bag, rummaging through it. There was only one hoodie matching the description. Pulling it out, he snickered when he realized it was one of the _Reborn by Fate_ hoodies. He grabbed a pair of dark basketball shorts as well and handed them over, smirking when Ambrose walked out a few minutes later.

"Like it?" Dean spread his arms, turning so that the Hardy symbol could be seen. He turned back around at Jeff's applause, grinning widely.

"It suits you," Jeff said with a fond smile, reaching down to grab their bags. He winced, feeling his kneecap protest the slight bending motion. Damn it. He would have to ice it more at the hotel.

"Give them here, idiot," Dean snatched both bags, hauling his over his left shoulder without a care but keeping Jeff's stable in his right hand. "Come on, I don't want to be here any longer than I need to."

Jeff blinked and glanced behind his shoulder, seeing several of those heads turn away quickly. His smile turned grim, "At least there isn't a betting board of how long it'll be till I start the drugs again this time around." He looked back to Dean when the younger man growled at the new information.

"Hey," Jeff put his hand behind Dean's head, bringing him down so that their noses touched gently into a soft Eskimo kiss. "They don't matter. We've got an all-nighter to pull." He smiled slowly, watching the way Dean's eyes stared deeply into his own. "Come on."

He gently pushed Dean out the door, watching with knowing eyes as Dean walked right by Seth without even looking at the dark-haired star. Jeff didn't pause, although he did incline his head towards the frowning man.

They rode in comfortable silence, Jeff's hand set softly over Dean's as it rested on his knee. Once in the room, he watched with amusement as Dean set the bags down near the bathroom door before he promptly fell face-first onto the bed. He mumbled something into the sheets.

"What?"

Dean turned his head towards him, eyes closed serenely, "Seth is a dick," he repeated, words clear as day when not muffled by the sheets.

"He cares for you very much," Jeff pulled off his shirt, making his way to his bag. He knelt carefully, grabbing a pair of cozy sleeping pants, before stepping into the bathroom. "I'm just sorry that I make him doubt you." He kicked off his street shorts, tugging on the sleeping pants before grabbing the shorts and pushing them into his bag.

"Fuck him," Dean murmured, eyes still closed. He moved onto his back, arms supporting his head. "It should be enough for him that I trust you. That I'm…" he swallowed and Jeff tilted his head at the nervousness in his tone, "that I'm happiest when I'm with you."

That pleasant tingling hitting him right in the abdomen, Jeff smiled and crawled onto the bed, his head resting on Dean's chest and hand gently stroking his ribcage, "The feeling is mutual."

Dean hummed, bringing his hand down to play with Jeff's hair. "So, what do you want to do?"

"You pick, I'm too comfortable to think." Jeff replied, smiling as Dean's chest vibrated with laughter.

* * *

"This is so wrong and I do not approve."

Seth ignored the Samoan, smiling charmingly at the woman as she handed him the keycard. He turned, expecting Roman to follow, "I don't care, Ro. I want to trust Jeff, I do, but I'm not taking any chances. I need to make sure he isn't coercing Dean into anything."

Roman frowned as he caught up with his lover, "Even if you don't trust Jeff, why don't you trust Dean? He's our brother, Seth. He wouldn't do anything to compromise himself."

"Dean is thinking with his dick," Seth said bluntly, stunning the bigger man. "I know he feels something for Jeff; _everyone_ knows it at this point. Do you really expect him to be able to deny Jeff anything?"

As they hopped off the elevator onto the right floor, Roman grabbed Seth's shoulder just outside of Dean's door, "Seth," he said softly, "I know you care and I know that you worry…but please, don't do this. If you're right and they _are_ messing around with drugs, you bursting in there and screaming isn't going to help…and if you're wrong, and believe me, you ARE wrong…Dean will never forgive you."

Seth considered his lover before narrowing his eyes and promptly slipping the keycard into the slot, opening the door quickly but quietly, and darting in.

Roman groaned and crept into the room, fully prepared to grab Seth and run out as soon as the man began to holler but paused as he almost ran right into said man's back. "What's wrong?" he whispered urgently, looking over Seth's shoulder.

"They're… _sleeping_." Seth couldn't believe it.

Jeff was curled up against Dean's side, his face hidden in the soft material of the jacket the lunatic wore. His right arm was wrapped around Dean's sternum, the left one underneath Dean's arm, which was thrown loosely around his shoulders. His legs were tucked up, one of his knees bumped into the brown-haired man.

Dean was on his back, his soft snores echoing around the room. The hand of the arm he had wound around the enigma was in that dark hair; fisted only slightly. The hood was over his face, hiding his eyes from view. The light in the room were on, but dimmed, as if they had not intended to fall asleep so quickly.

Roman smiled at the scene and grabbed Seth's hand, dragging the bewildered male of the room. "Do you see now?" he said calmly, closing the door as gently as he could before whirling around and facing his love, "they are so content to be with one another that neither would let stupid shit like drugs affect them. Now get that picture engraved in your mind because I won't tell you again."

Chastised, Seth lowered his eyes.

"Got all the proof you need that my brother is better now?" A tight voice asked from behind them.

Roman jumped, turning around to face Matt. "You scared the shit out of me."

Matt glanced at Roman before looking to Seth. He crossed his arms, leaning against the hallway all, "So? Were they snorting coke in there? Maybe shooting up some heroin?"

"Enough, Matt," Seth murmured, "I get it."

"No, you don't," Matt said angrily but levelly, "Do you know how hard it is to constantly have people come up to me and try to take shots at my brother? He doesn't have many friends in this industry. Not anymore. Dean is the only person he's allowed to get so close in a _long_ time. Jeff would rip his own heart out before he hurt Dean and it's finally time for you to realize that."

"If you're so sure of your brother then what are you doing here?" Seth asked, having no other defense.

Matt smiled grimly, "I knew you'd need to see it for yourself. And now that you have, consider this your warning. Don't you go ruin this for them," He looked to Roman, "I'm sorry, man. You're a friend but he's my blood."

"I agree with you, Matt," Roman said earnestly. He grabbed Seth's hand, "I'll make sure Seth keeps his mouth shut."

Seth sighed, "I apologize, Matt. And I'll be sure to apologize to them as soon as I see them."

"Good." Matt nodded, turning around. "Were they using a condom at least?"

Roman snorted on a laugh, seeing the perturbed look on Seth's face, "They're both knocked out. I'm surprised; Dean is usually a night owl."

Matt chuckled, "Jeff used to be also but I catch him falling asleep everywhere now."

"At least he wasn't singing," Seth chimed in, smiling softly. "You lied about that part."

"Nah, he just takes breaks." The trio chuckled, bidding each other a goodnight before going their separate ways.

 _-May 30_ _th_ _-_

"I'm riding with Jeff," Dean said after taking a sip from his bottle of water. "Matt's going back home but Jeff just wants to ride out to the next location so I'll just see you and Rolly there."

"Am I to assume that you'll be rooming and riding together from now on? He must have been wild in bed for you to just ditch us like that." Roman beamed, pouring syrup onto his giant stack of pancakes.

"Your first assumption is correct but your second is just your wishful thinking. We knocked out as soon as we lay down." Dean replied, watching the big male begin to cut up his carb loaded breakfast.

"You finally had him to yourself all night long and all you two did was sleep?"

Dean snorted, ignoring Roman's teasing grin, "Look, we were both tired as hell and dealing with some mental baggage, sleep was the best thing we could have gotten. Honestly, it was the greatest sleep I've had in a while." He played with his muffin, ripping it into smaller pieces to pop into his mouth.

"Really?" Roman took a big bite out of his pancakes, "I figured that you two bunched together that close would have made you uncomfortable. You don't like sleeping with other people. Remember that time you kicked Seth out of bed?"

"Yeah but he smells really good and he's pretty soft for a guy-" Dean trailed off, staring at Roman with a frown.

"What?"

"How did you know that we slept close together?" Dean asked quietly. When Roman paused in his chewing, sterling eyes widening, the lunatic cursed.

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?" Dean's hands fisted his water bottle, the plastic crinkling loudly enough for other people to turn to stare, "Did Seth seriously come up to my room and-"

"I did."

Dean gritted his teeth, watching as his Shield brother sat down at their table, a cup of tea in his hands. "I warned you about this bullshit, Rollins."

Seth sighed, setting the cup down and bringing his chin to rest on his hands. "Yes, you did," he allowed, eyes soft, "And I owe you an apology."

"What?" Dean's face scrunched. This was not what he had been expecting.

"Dean, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for judging Jeff and for invading your privacy. I haven't been fair to either of you and while I'm still not fully," he wrinkled his nose, trying to find words, " _used_ to the idea of you two being together…I want you to know that I support you. Both."

Dean blinked, his hands slowly releasing the bottle. It snapped back into place and he stared hard at his friend. "Thank you, Seth," he said finally, "but I expect you to apologize to Jeff also."

"He already did," Jeff said as he sat down besides Dean, who had jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. The enigma was holding two mugs of coffee, and he placed one in front of Dean.

"You Hardy boys are so light-footed!" Roman pointed a fork at Jeff, "Always popping up out of nowhere and scaring us good folk."

Jeff chuckled, taking a casual sip from the mug, "Seth came to find me when I was with Matt and apologized," his gorgeous eyes found Dean's, a small smile on his face, "and I accepted it."

Dean swallowed heavily, mesmerized by those bright eyes, "He saw us sleeping," he informed Jeff morosely, whose grin widened, "That is a little bit creepy."

Humming, Jeff reached out to sweep back Dean's unruly hair, "At least he didn't see us naked and in a more compromising position," he winked, "I'm sure that would have been more disturbing."

"Just for him," Roman said, already cutting up another bite of pancake, "I think it would have been kinda hot."

"Roman," Seth growled, his forehead coming to rest on his hands, "You are such a child."

Dean had eyes only for Jeff and completely ignored his friends as they began to bicker, "A more compromising position?" he repeated quietly, unsure. He wanted it. He wanted Jeff but he also wanted to make sure the feeling was reciprocal.

Jeff brought his mug up to Dean's lips, watching intently as the younger man took a sip, "One of many to come, I hope." He suddenly seemed uneasy, "If you do not want to take things further, I won't blame you-"

"I'm going to kiss you." Was all Dean said before he reached out, cradling Jeff's cheek in his hand and firmly planted his lips against the softest pair of lips he had ever kissed. He didn't try to take it further, fully aware that they still had an audience, but the feeling of the pressure being returned was all it took for Dean's heart to swell.

"Did we just witness the first kiss?" Seth asked, turning to look at Roman, who pretended to wipe away a tear.

"Our little lunatic is all grown up and kissing pretty men." His boyfriend stated, patting Seth on the shoulder.

Dean's hand rose, middling finger aimed directly at the Samoan, before he slowly pulled back. He watched Jeff's tongue come out to wet his lips and he groaned, turning away. "Don't do that right now. It's hard enough to keep myself from just pushing you onto this table and-"

"Dean!" Seth scolded, cheeks flaming as Roman roared with laughter.

Jeff laughed, his head coming down to nudge against Dean's shoulder. "I'll hold you to it, Ambrose."

"You'd better, Hardy."

* * *

 **I don't know WHY this took so long to get through. I'm kinda trying to creep into their romance because this fic will be, at most, maybe 10 chapter so I don't want to RUSH all into it but I do need them to have some sort of closeness, ya know?**


End file.
